Martina Navratilova explains the real reason for Czech success after Linda Noskova’s Wimbledon win
History was made during the women’s singles final at Wimbledon, as two Czech players competed for the title for the first time.
Linda Noskova met Karolina Muchova in a topsy-turvy final, which saw Noskova failed to convert five championships points in the second set.
After a Muchova fight back to level the score, Noskova eventually won the Wimbledon title for the first time after winning the deciding set 6-3.
The all-Czech final has many wondering how a nation of just 10.9 million people is able to generate a litany of top tennis players in the men’s and women’s game.
On the ATP Tour, both Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik and currently sit inside the top 20, at World No 12 and 19, respectively, while Tomas Machac has also achieved a career ranking high of World No 20.
The women’s game is even more stacked with the likes of Noskova, Muchova, Marie Bouzková, Barbora Krejčíková, Kateřina Siniaková, Sára Bejlek, Nikola Bartůňková and Tereza Valentová all currently inside the top 50 of the WTA Tour rankings.
So what is the reason behind the current stacked generation of Czechia talent? According to Martina Navratilova, it’s down to the culture of the country.
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Speaking to the BBC ahead of the Wimbledon final between Noskova and Muchova, Navratilova said: “There are clubs everywhere [in the Czech Republic], every small town has two, three or four clay courts and there is so much more good coaching now.
“And competition – they have lots of tournaments and they play sets when they go to the club, they don’t just hit balls, they play sets and learn how to compete in singles and doubles, which teaches you to be a better tennis player.
“That’s why you see the Czechs all have a complete game,” added the multi-time Grand Slam champion. “Even the baseliners can still volley.”
Navratilova was born in Prague, and intially represented Czechia during the early days of her tennis career. However, she was stripped of her citizenship in 1975, after she asked the United States for political asylum.
Navratilova officially became a US citizen in 1981, but in 2008, she also reacquired Czech citizenship, so she has more than a vested interest in the top stars from the nation currently dominating the sport.
Noskova’s win at Wimbledon saw her become the sixth player from the nation to claim a Grand Slam title. She joins Petr Korda, Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Krejčíková, and Markéta Vondroušová.
She was also the the third different champion from Czechia in four years to win Wimbledon, after Vondrousova in 2023 and Krejčíková in 2024.
